Katniss Everdeen is Not a Stalker
by AULOVE
Summary: Cannon AU Katniss as a little problem, she can't stop looking through Peeta's window, trying to find a way to pay her boy with the bread back but as time goes on she realizes she wants more.
1. Chapter 1

Hi All!

This is a one shot that came into my mind of a girl with a certain long braid climbing a certain tree...Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger games and all mistakes are mine.

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She was not stalker.

Far from it.

Katniss Everdeen did not even want to admit that she had a thing for Peeta Mellark. Her steel gray eyes looked up at the tree just outside his window. She could hear the soft snorting of the pigs in their pen. Resolved she began climbing the tree. She just needed to see him. To make sure his mother had not hit him for giving Prim, her baby sister, a cookie this afternoon.

Katniss tried to pay him, she asked him how much the cookie would cost. The smile on Prim's face was all the thanks he needed or so Peeta said when he handed her sister the cookie. Katniss did not say anything she only mutely stared at him. Though that cookie started her mind a whirl with anxiety. She knew his mother the witch would be furious if she found out he was giving away the merchandise.

There was a history between them an unshakeable bond.

When she was eleven and dying, he burned the bread on purpose and gave it to her. It was a generous act. It was a dangerous one. Yet that bread saved her life and the life of her family. For his heroic act Peeta received a beating from his mother. It was his selfless deed that sealed their fait.

In the Seam they took care of one another but there was always the implication of a debt that had to be paid. A debt always had to be paid. Yet his was not.

His rebellion against his mother who told him to throw the bread to the pigs did not go unnoticed. A scolding was not good enough because she was Seam Trash. She did not want him to get hurt. Katniss was scared his mother had found out about the cookie he gave Prim. Katniss told herself she just needed to check up on him.

Excuses when it came to him were her specialties.

Her thirteen year old self, made a litany of justifications for coming to see Peeta, on an almost a nightly bases. Her number one reason was to pay the debt. He never asked to be paid. Two years later she traded with his father. She often saved the best squirrels or rabbits for him as a way to say thank you. She knew it wasn't good enough. Last year is when it first happened, when she first climbed that tree to look at him.

It started innocently enough she heard the witch fighting with him, when she came to trade. She had wanted to make sure he was safe. If he needed medical attention she would get it for him. What she found was made her pause. He looked like he had a bruise on his face. But instead of crying he was calmly drawing.

His rapt attention to what he drew caught her total attention. She liked the way his hands moved as they drew on the paper. It was then she came up with a plan. Katniss told herself she needed to watch over him to somehow pay the debt she owed him.

It was all hog wash.

As time went on the reason changed. She just wanted to see the Boy with the Bread in his natural habitat. He fascinated her.

"Dam this tree." Katniss breathed to herself under her breath. A small branch poked her in the stomach as she climbed the tree behind Peeta's house. This was a necessary routine for her. Licking her lips Katniss inched her way along the thick branch that stretched out toward his room. She swallowed as she finally got the view she was looking for. She gazed into his bedroom window from her hidden perch in the tree.

Peeta lay on his bed in the dark. His arms folded up underneath his head. His blond hair glowed in the dark room with the help of the moonlight.

A small sigh escaped her lips as she gazed into his perfect, blue eyes. His eyes were so blue that Katniss had not found one thing in nature to compare them too. Those eyes made her heart want to jump out from her chest and latch on to his.

The door to the room slammed open and Peeta's older brother came running in and jumped on top of Peeta.

"Hey little brother what are you doing?" Rye breathed into Peeta's face. He tried to get Peeta into a head lock.

Peeta easily slipped from the head lock but found himself face to face with his brothers his nasty breath.

Katniss wanted to very much shoot Rye for attacking Peeta and ruining her gazing time.

"Ugh Rye have you been drinking again?"

"Shhhh…" Rye slurred a little.

"You got into mom's stash, didn't you?" Peeta whispered.

In between bouts of laughter Rye said "Mom is dead asleep."

"Yeah" Peeta calmly stood up. "Come on Rye, let's get you into bed."

Katniss watched Peeta help Rye get into his bed. Peeta patiently helped his brother out of his pants and shirt. He was such a good person. Peeta reminded Katniss of her sister Primrose.

Rye reached up and patted Peeta's face. "You are a good bro…"

Rye's hand fell down and he began to snore loudly.

Peeta shook his head then turned around. He looked up at the silver moon and recalled the silver eyed girl whom he had a huge crush on.

Katniss watched Peeta walk to his bed and pull out a crinkled piece of paper. This was something he did every night. Katniss wondered what he had on that piece of paper that was so important he kept it hidden underneath the mattress. A branch was jabbing her into her side and she tired to shift with out causing the tree leaves to move. Katniss nearly lost her grip and she hugged the tree.

Peeta saw the movement and paused looking at the picture of Katniss he made to look out toward the tree by his window. Curiously he neared the window and peered into the tree.

Katniss heart beat widely as she held on for dear life. She helplessly watched Peeta stare toward her direction. She was afraid Peeta was going to see her.

The wind blew and ruffled the leaves.

A squirrel jumped down from the branch above and landed on top of her head before leaping out to a small clearing just ahead. It moved until it caught sight of Peeta.

"Squirrel" Peeta muttered as he saw the little creature.

The squirrel stood up and stared at Peeta its nose twitching.

"If Katniss were here she would shoot you straight in the eye." Peeta said. He swore the squirrel gave him a funny look before it scampered away. He shook his head and sighed. It was well past his bedtime. He needed to brush his teeth before he went to bed.

Katniss watched Peeta walk away.

Her muscles unwound and she rapidly scampered down out of the tree. She pushed her fly away hair away from her face as she quickly dashed away in the moonlight.

When she got to the meadow she stopped running and dropped to her knees.

She could not believe she had almost gotten caught. The thrill of having gotten away threaded throughout her body, Katniss placed her hand on her face. Her face felt warm.

She was smiling.

Outside of the woods and her sister the only person who could make her smile like this was him. Getting up she hugged her self briefly before becoming serious again.

This was madness Katniss scolded herself. She could not think this way. Katniss admonished herself knowing she could not allow herself to feel such things. Sternly Katniss told herself she would see him tomorrow when she traded with his father and no more.

But later on as she got into bed she recalled how intensely blue his eyes were. She recalled just how selfless and good he was. And the urge to see him just once more made her earlier resolve slightly crumble. So the next night as she climbed the tree Katniss disagreed with her inner voice that told her she was treading on dangerous ground by becoming Peeta's shadow.

Nope Katniss told herself over and over again she was not a stalker, she was just trying to pay off a debt.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi All, I have a busy bee. I hope you enjoy this story it took me by surprise. It's so Everlark...dripping with it. Enjoy!

Un beta'd so all mistakes are mine.

PS...I do not own HG or the characters

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"Patrol One,"

The static message came over the communication device of the Peacekeepers as the walked by Mellark's Bakery.

"Patrol One, here."

"What is the status of Sector A?"

Both Peacekeepers stopped walking. They looked to each other as they stared into the window of Mellark's Bakery.

"Sector A Clear"

There was a pause as both men waited to hear what their next orders were to be. District Twelve was the least active of all of the districts. Its citizen's never gave any of the Peacekeepers any trouble. The residents kept to themselves. Only a few of the handful Merchant kids kept them on their feet but only when they were drinking.

Once again the Peacekeepers had nothing happening this evening. Everything was quiet.

Peeta hid in the shadows across the street.

"Copy that. Continue on to Sector C."

The command came back. The two Peacekeepers looked at each other, their reluctance was oblivious. They were to skip the abandoned part of town and move on to the meadow. They stood for a few minutes speaking to each other of all things abut the cake's Peeta decorated. They were arguing about which one was the best. Their heated voices drifted across the street where Peeta hid.

The newer Peacekeepers did not even go by their names they went by initials or numbers. Peeta closed his eyes. He had to time it out right. He couldn't afford to get caught by these Peacekeepers. They were new to town and did not know him.

If it were Darius or any of the older guys he could have walked across the street and snuck into his home without worry. The older guys knew him, knew Peeta was no threat. Rye on the other hand had a few drunken incidents. The new troops in town if they found him breaking curfew they would arrest his brother. That was not something Peeta desired. Peeta was glad they were headed to the Meadow, for now Rye was safe.

Taking a deep silent breath Peeta looked across the street. The men were still standing in front of his home. Peeta judged he had to run across the street as soon as they moved away. He was not the most agile of his brothers, but he could be sneaky when he had to be. He listened intently to the two men bicker.

"Seriously, J, how can you say that?"

"You know I have real issues with your taste levels, K."

"You have issues with my taste level. Are you looking at the same cake?" The one named J said.

"Naw man, I just saying, the one with the birds is the best one." K pointed to the cake in the display.

"Ha!" J was sounded offended at his partner's opinion.

"Look at it K; you can see the different colors in the bird's eyes."

"Who cares about the birds?" J shrugged his shoulders.

"They look like they are in flight." K flapped his arms as if they were wings.

"I still say the one in the back is the exact replica of the meadow back home, look at all of those flowers, they look real. It's like they plucked them from the fields and put them on the cake."

"Flowers, really…" J cocked his head to the side.

"What's wrong with flowers? I used to pick them all the time, as kid…"

J laughed as he spoke, "Really, man you picked flowers."

"Flowers are great."

There was a silent pause as both men stared at each other.

J was the one who broke the silence. "I can't believe we are having this conversation."

"J, haven't you ever plucked any flowers?"

"No."

"I did and I still do."

J cracked up and hit K on the shoulder. "That is the funniest thing ever."

There was laughter, spilling into the street.

"If I feel like it, I will. Who is going to stop me? Besides it was for her, you know the girl form five."

The Peacekeeper defended himself. Their voices became hushed as if they were sharing private information.

"Jeez man you're something else you know that? Really you did that for her?" K's voice could be heard from where Peeta sat.

"Doesn't matter let's move on to Sector C."

"Seriously the chick with the…." K held up his hands to his chest.

"Why the hell do I even speak to you for?"

"Because no one else will," K's sardonic reply caused the other Peacekeeper the chuckle.

"Yeah sure, but you're wrong about her."

"I can believe you gave her flowers." K still held mirth in his voice.

"Believe it," J said.

Peeta was glad to see them moving on. He was happy be close to his house as he snuck past two retiring Peacekeepers to get into his backyard. He and his brother Rye had snuck out earlier to a party in an abandoned business. As the party wore on Peeta couldn't stomach the drinking so he left the hormone and beer fused bash relatively early. It was not terribly late yet. There was a whole hour until midnight. But his parents were fast asleep. Bakers rose early and went to bed early, it was an occupational hazard. Peeta was normally in bed by 7:45pm, it was the ridiculous time enforced by his mother.

Normally by now he would be fast asleep, because they were up by three thirty the latest to get the ovens fired up and ready for the first batches of bread. But tomorrow was Sunday, the one day the bakery was closed so that they could clean properly it meant they could sleep in late. Peeta hoped he could sleep in. However with his older brother getting married, Peeta was assuming more responsibilities. His father trusted him, his mother did not. It was no secret Peeta was her least favorite child.

Peeta walked a curious line in his home. He tried his best to stay out of his mother's crosshairs. It didn't always work when he was younger often being the recipient of her physical rants. But as he grew in height and his shoulders broadened his mother retired from hurting him physically to only spitefully berating him. It gave him the courage to do what he did tonight even though he did not want to go in the first place. Peeta walked with his hands in his pocket as he approached the tree.

It was not cold out tonight being that it was already November. It was actually a balmy night. Peeta was glad that it was still warm out. It meant Katniss could still get a good haul from the woods. Animals might not hibernate early. He knew how hard it was Katniss Everdeen and her family during the winter. The later the harsh weather the better it was for her to forage in the forest.

Peeta paused as he stopped to look at the majestic tree that his ancestor planted.

The grand tree in his back yard was filled with fall opulence. It's orange and yellow leaves were at peak. Peeta loved the fall, because it was a celebration of his favorite color, orange. He often loved to watch the sunset because of the muted orange it provided. This was secret he kept to himself. His brothers did not think him to be much of a man they thought something was wrong with him. Peeta supposed it was why Rye wanted Peeta to join him on the elusive party tonight. Rye wanted Peeta to act more like his friends. It was not in Peeta's nature.

Rye begged him, since now he was fifteen and could go to these types of get-togethers. Peeta reluctantly agreed not only because tomorrow he could sleep in but because Rye was moving out of their room.

His older brother Norton was getting married now that he was over the reaping age. Norton was far too serious minded to do anything out of the ordinary. Norton was like their mother, a Capitol sympathizer. Rye the middle Mellark did care about anything. He was reckless and was solely loyal to himself. It surprised him when Rye insisted he go.

Peeta guessed Rye wanted a last who-rah. Peeta went. However as he scanned the small gathering of town kids Peeta couldn't help but think of Katniss. He could not help but want her. But it was a ridiculous desire. The one person he wanted to be there was certainly never going to be at a Merchant get-together. She never even went to the socials at school. Peeta sighed as he once more thought of her.

Katniss Everdeen.

He could feel his blood flowing into his lower abdomen region at the thought of her. Katniss was the single most interesting girl, the focal point of his existence. Years ago he had thrown her bread, the next time he saw her she held out a dandelion toward him. That was their last form of communication. It was odd considering he saw her every Saturday morning when she traded with his father. She acted as if she did not know him and he could never break out of his shell to speak to her. It was frustrating.

Peeta rubbed his face.

If he wanted he could end his self imposed withdrawal from females. Girls liked him they have tried to kiss him. Hell one even groped him. But he didn't bite back unlike his brothers. His brothers went after any and every girl who was remotely interested in them. His brother Rye's latest obsession was Beulah River. It was his one reason for wanting to go to the party. Rye was still there no doubt trying to score with River's girl. Beulah was beautiful but had a horrendous personality. Peeta could not understand why Rye never went for girls of substance.

Rye always went for fast easy and dumb.

Rye made fun of Peeta because he was fixated on only one girl. Peeta did not care. Katniss was worth the waiting, the pining, and the unrequited need. He was besotted. Katniss was not only beautiful but she was smart strong loyal and despite her scowl, he knew there was more to her. He wanted to know more, but he doubted at this moment he could find the answers he sought. Momentarily he was tired and wanted nothing more than his bed.

Yawning Peeta was glad he resisted drinking. Most of his friends were drunk or on the way to becoming intoxicated. Peeta walked up to the tree that went all the way up to his window. He was not very good at climbing trees. But he would rather get scrapes from the tree than sneaking in the house and risk waking up his mom.

Peeta stood beneath the tree contemplating his move.

From above Katniss was panting hard. She had just scrambled up the tree. She had come here to see if he was alright. She hoped he had not gone to that party. When she was going to leave, she couldn't because the Peacekeepers paused outside of the front of the Bakery.

Now she was stuck on the branch. Nervously she watched Peeta look at the tree. She knew if he came up here she was going to be stuck. There was nowhere for her to go to unless she shimmed up the branch and hopped into his room. This was not an option.

Katniss was panicking.

The leaves above began to shake. Katniss's grey eyes shifted upwards curious as to what was causing the leaves to shake. There was no breeze tonight.

It was then that darned squirrel jumped down from its perch.

The squirrel's nose twitched as it looked directly at Katniss.

Katniss scowled.

It was not impressed and began to make noises.

"Shhh," Katniss tried to intimidate it and used her free hand to try to scare it away. She could see Peeta just below her as he was looking for a way to climb the tree.

The squirrel hunched over. This was sign, animals did to denounce they were threatened.

"No, no, no, no…" Katniss whispered desperately hoping to startle the creature from what she knew was going to happen next. She did not want to get attacked by a squirrel.

The bushy tailed creature came toward her threatening to bite her. Katniss sat up quickly as the furry little beast charged at her. Unfortunately she lost her balance in the process. Katniss tried to stabilize herself by using her arms but to no avail, she slipped off the trunk and plummeted toward the earth.

Peeta was surprised to see the branch above groan right before he saw a shadowy figure dropping from the tree. He quickly maneuvered to catch the small bundle that was falling.

Katniss braced her body to feel the pain of the ground. She did not yell, she kept her eyes tightly closed waiting for the pain. But she never reached the ground. Instead she was caught. Reluctantly she opened her eyes to stare up into the startled eyes blue of Peeta Mellark.

Peeta was shocked as he beheld Katniss Everdeen.

In a million years Peeta never thought he would be coming home to catch Katniss falling out of the tree in his back yard. They stared at each other in the silence of the night. Each one filled with disbelief at the situation they found each other in.

Finally Peeta broke the silence.

"Are you okay?"

Mutely Katniss nodded. She could not believe she fell out of the tree because of that stupid squirrel. Katniss hated the fury little menace. She was so embarrassed she did not know where to look. A mixture of fiery anger and humiliation swirled within her.

"Are you sure?" Peeta was concerned she could be hurt and he not know it.

She couldn't even formulate a word, much less a sentence. Her stare was harsh. But she couldn't help it. Peeta was physically carrying her, while standing in the middle of his back yard. She fell out of his tree, because of her weakness. She wondered how in the world she was going to be able to get away with this. The huntress was captured by a baker.

Despite all of her whirling emotions she was not trying to get out of his arms. The one thing that her brain registered was that she oddly felt safe. He saved her once again. Her traitorous nose greedily sniffed him. She picked up the slight cinnamon and dill scent. It made her heart race. She swallowed as she felt the blood rush to her face.

In the dark Peeta could not see the fierce blush that spread over Katniss cheeks. "Are you sure?"

She nodded once more slightly.

Reluctantly he let her go settling her feet on the ground. Peeta could not believe this. He grinned then it hit him. Katniss was in his tree. She did not have her game bag with her. It was late in the evening. Peeta wandered why in the world she would be in his tree. Peeta hoped she was not looking for his brother Rye. Girls did all sorts of things for Rye. Peeta swallowed morbidly his curiosity grew. "What were you doing up in the tree Katniss?"

Katniss's eyes grew larger. He knew her name. Then she admonished herself of course he knew her name she traded with his father often. Peeta was there sometimes during the trades. "I..."

It was then they felt it small little pellets being thrown at them.

"Oww," Peeta said looking up. The shell of a nut hit him in between the eyes.

There on the branch the squirrel was throwing empty shells and twigs at them. The squirrel threw the contents that it held quickly and with deadly aim. Its little paw raised in the air as if cursing them, fighting mad.

Peeta quickly moved them away from the barrage towards the side of the house where they could not be reached. He sheltered her with his body.

For a brief moment Katniss allowed it. She allowed her body to be protected. She tucked her head against the wall of his chest his arms braced on either side of the wall, her hands spread wide on his abdomen. She breathed in and caught the smell of bread, cinnamon, and dill. It was comforting and oddly familiar.

"I hate that squirrel," Peeta muttered.

His words snapped Katniss out of her self-indulgence.

"Darn Squirrel," Katniss grumbled narrowing her eyes as she peeked over his shoulder. Katniss stepped out of his shelter. She took a small pebble from the ground and with out much preamble flung it at the small annoying animal. The pebble zinged past its tail. The squirrel seeing this scampered away.

Peeta knew her aim was accurate and he was thrilled to see just how good she was. "Wow, take that, you pest."

They laughed suddenly at the audacity of the situation.

"I guess you were chasing that squirrel." Peeta grinned.

Katniss bit her lips. It wasn't the squirrel that she was chasing. It was him. She was worried about Peeta and his brother Rye going out to drink. Peeta was not the type to drink or go to wild parties. She worried he would drunkenly stumble back home to face his mother's painful reckoning. Katniss was going to sneak some of her mother's brew that would help him with a hangover. But that was not the real reason behind her fear.

It was the slow trickling of reinforcements sent by the Capitol. The reaping was done for the year. There was no reason for such a presence in District Twelve. Something was going on in the district, even the old Peacekeepers like Cray, were acting out of sorts. Katniss did not want something happening to Peeta.

"Seriously though what are you doing here?"

Katniss grabbed the herbs she held in the pocket of her father's jacket and shoved it into hands.

"What's this?"

"For hangovers" Katniss whispered before she made a dash.

Peeta caught up with her and held her arm. "No wait you don't have to run."

Katniss looked at his hand on her shoulder. Her chest felt like it was going to explode.

It was quite revealing to know she came here to give him the herbs for hangovers. Peeta questioned how she knew he was going to the party? He looked into her face; she looked utterly guilty and flushed. Peeta brows crashed into each other as he puzzled as to why she was in the tree that led to his bedroom.

"Please let me go..."

Peeta loosened his grip. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Katniss backed away slowly.

"Please don't go."

Katniss had no way of explaining to him what she was doing here. Why she followed him, or why he was important to her. Other than her holding out the dandelion to him they never spoke. Her instinct was to run and never come back. But his eyes stopped her.

His blue eyes implored her to stay. They were breathtaking to behold up close.

Peeta could convey his meaning with a simple gesture where as she could not do anything but frown or scowl. In school Peeta never found it difficult to make his point across. Katniss like to simply listen to the timber of his voice whenever she spoke. She blankly stared up at him hoping she could back away slowly.

It then it came to him. She was following him. His heart soared then it crashed as he thought about the Peacekeepers in town. "Listen, there are Peacekeepers allover town tonight. They were just outside. They were headed toward the meadow."

Katniss paused. She knew this to be true she counted eight on her way here tonight.

"Stay here with me." Peeta quickly said. "I'll sleep on the ground and I promise since I have to get up early I will wake you up so that you can sneak home. I promise, I will not touch you. I promise, just don't go out there it's dangerous."

Katniss knew she should go home. She should say no, but she did not and somehow she found herself wearing his clothing as she snuggled into his bed.

Even Peeta could not hide the wide large smile on his face. He lay on the floor next to the bed contemplating just how hot she looked in his undershirt and boxers. Peeta slid his hand under his head not knowing how he was going to sleep when it happened. It was not until later when she woke up whimpering that he realized she was asleep.

"Katniss…"

Katniss's mouth was open in a silent scream when she sat up.

Peeta put his arms around her.

Katniss buried her face into the crook of his neck. His scent was reassuring.

They sat there not speaking.

When Peeta was sure she had calmed down enough he began to move.

"Stay with me."

Peeta crept in besides her and she clung to him. This time it did not take long for them to sleep. Wrapped up in each others arms where it was safe. It was the way Rye found them.

His buzzed mind snapped into being sober instantly.

Rye grinned.

His disappointment over Peeta leaving early dissipated. There was nothing wrong with his little brother. It all made sense, Peeta had a girl, and it was none other than Katniss Everdeen. Rye wanted to jump on the bed with them. But seeing the way they clung to each other made him pause. It was intimate and private. He felt ashamed, voyeuristic for being present.

This was the real thing.

Rye instead backed out and left the room with a small smile on his lips. He would not intrude on hi little brother's bubble. He knew the truth and now he would have to help Peeta out. Rye had no doubt if their mother were to ever find out, about Katniss, the woman would kill or maim Peeta.


	3. Chapter 3

Authors Note: Thank you all who reviewed and liked my story. Thank you for all of the kind comments. I thought I wouldn't have this done until next week but I just finished it, whoohoo, so you get it early Yay. It's unbetaed but I hope you like it. Let me know what you think. I do appreciate it and sometimes your prompts inspire my creativity.

PS...I do not own the hunger games!

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The next day.

The hob was packed. It was still early, only around seven in the morning. People were buying and selling as much as they could. They had a sense that District Twelve's farce of a black market was going to be shut down. There were many new Peacekeepers sent to the quiet district and it made many feel scared.

There were whispers, murmurings of war, of unrest in the other districts.

No one knew for sure, but in Twelve people wanted to keep their heads down and live a normal life. They knew what happened when the Capitol's orders were not followed.

There was a point in District Twelve's history when there were many beatings and whippings in front of the Justice Building for infractions that were so slight. A group of minors and merchants protested against the brutality. The result was swift, they were shot down. In light of this the Capitol sent a legion of troops to control the area, despite the districts poor amount of residents.

It seemed for every five residents there was a Peacekeeper. They were enforcers who at times shot and killed for no reason and no one was safe. There were two Peacekeepers stationed inside the business's watching the conduct of commerce. These creatures did not smile, did not speak, and only watched the residents as if they were all criminals. The one's people quietly detested were the Peacekeepers that stood in the hallways of the schools and in the classrooms. Ominous shadows that threatened to punish even the children regardless if they were unruly.

Twelve's humble streets were filled with uniformed officers that mutely monitored the populace; they were always ready to haul anyone into custody who looked like an offender to the Capitol. The stock yards and whipping posts were filled with the corpses of the people who protested. Fear reigned in the eyes of many, while others looked broken by the threats and the constant terror.

Many people stopped leaving their homes and Twelve's social life came to a standstill. The only resolution was to comply less they lose more friends and family. Everyone worked and went home quietly.

At one point the only sounds that could be heard on the streets of District Twelve were those that nature supplied. The snow as it accumulated in the streets, the harsh winds of fall and the pouring spring rain were the music people listened to. But in the heat of summer, not even a pin drop could be heard.

People did not greet each other on the street, they did not speak openly to each other unless they purchased something from one of the Capitol approved vendors. It got to the point that no one looked at each other directly in the face unless they had too. This tranquil resignation continued until the Peacekeepers had nothing to do, because the population became so docile.

Its quietness was a passive aggressive rebellion.

It worked and eventually the manipulative Capitol controlled Peacekeepers were called away to a more restless district. Those who stayed behind were more lenient and allowed places like the Hob to flourish.

Now it was happening all over again and the people of the district were leery of the many changes happening within their quiet walls. Gale was worried and his rants were becoming epic when he hunted with Katniss. For Gale the forest was a place where he could yell and rant without fear. The woods were the only haven for Katniss.

It was a place for her to think without worry.

This morning Katniss had more on her mind than just Gale and the increased amount of Peacekeepers in District Twelve. Katniss walked through the rows of tables.

"There's a lot of traffic this morning."

Gale commented as he made his way through the market.

"Yeah let's hurry and get done, we still have to visit the Mayor."

"Don't forget we still have to stop at Mellark's. I need to get bread, Rory and Vic are eating anything in sight and bread is the only thing that seems to fill them up a little."

Katniss remained silent, though nodded slowly as she tried to keep her face from blooming into a bright shade of red at the thought of Peeta. They neared Greasy Sae's establishment, in the Hob. Katniss was famished, Peeta had offered a loaf of bread but she did not want it, it was too much, she already owed him so a great deal. However he told her that he wanted berries and she agreed. That wonderful raisin and nut loaf was sitting at home waiting for her.

"I'm going to trade the dog and get a bowl of soup, from Greasy Sae's place."

"Alright I'll be right back. I need to pick up Posey's boots, the souls were worn bare when she tried them on a few weeks ago." Gale scratched his face, "I have a feeling by the way the leaves quickly changed color, she's going to need them during the winter."

"Posy's has gotten bigger."

"Yeah, shot up like a maypole this summer," Gale said as he grinned at a girl that caught his eye. He searched his brain for the girls name, he knew she was named after some plant, he thought it was Daffodil or some strange name like that. "Listen I'll see you in a bit, Jeb should be finished with them."

"Okay," Katniss shook her head, Gale was not at all subtle as he walked away to speak to the girl who caught his eye. Jeb's stall was on the opposite side. Shrugging she headed toward Sae's.

"Katniss," Greasy greeted. "What do you have for me today?"

"I've got some wild dog if you're interested in it?"

"Meat is meat girly; I'm not going to deny it." Greasy Sae's laughed, it sounded more like a crackle.

Katniss pulled out the dog from her father's game bag.

Greasy easily took the game and stored it behind her. She took a few coins out and handed it to Katniss. "I've got a bowl and some fresh bread this morning."

At the mention of the word bread Katniss blushed.

This morning as soon as she lost sight of the bakery she had run home but could not relax when she snuck into her house. Impatiently she had taken her father's game bag and headed back out doors. Waking up in Peeta's arms was the most wonderful sensation, but she was so embarrassed. She could not help turning red at the though of having slept in his bed, in his clothing and his arms.

She could not address him, Peeta had made her speak to him, when he insisted she take the bread and helped her sneak out of his home. Katniss had run quickly towards the fence, to the one place everything made sense, the safety of her woods. She stood there in the meadow wondering why she felt so alive by waking up next to him. It should not have mattered who she slept next to. Katniss was used to sharing a bed with her sister, but it had never felt this way before.

Katniss was in the midst of this revolutionary thought when Gale showed up in the woods. She had to immediately force her face to be blank. Gale knew her moods and he would pick up on anything that was off about her. The odds were in her favor because he was in one of his ranting moods.

Pretending to be there to hunt was easy to pull off. They often hunted at this time of the morning, before the night shift at the mines ended their workday. But because she was off she was afraid he would see it. Fortunately he was too busy grumbling to notice. The entire time in the woods she puzzled over the mystery of her reaction to Peeta. Katniss questioned why she felt so comfortable with him and why she asked him to stay with her in the bed after the nightmare. She could have easily thanked him and let him go back to sleep, but at that moment she needed him.

It was as sun rose mightily above in the sky in her beloved forest that it dawned on her.

Peeta made her feel different. Katniss was not sure she liked feeling this stuff. She didn't have time to be able to have these conflicting thoughts. It was as if her mind and heart were at odds. She had to survive, and even though nothing happened between them, something did happen inside of her; it was frightening and yet thrilling. She had to admit one thing to herself that had nothing to do with icky sentiments.

She slept like a baby.

Swallowing she looked down at the soup Greasy Sae put before her.

Katniss could not remember when the last time she had a decent nights sleep. Ever since her father died she had repeated violent nightmares. Although she did have a bad dream last night, it was only once, normally she woke up two to three times at night. Yet last night she slept through it and was because of him. Katniss picked up the spoon and carefully sipped the hot brew as she replayed in her head the events of the previous evening.

The catalyst was that squirrel.

"Freaking squirrel," Katniss muttered to herself. Had it not been for that vicious puffy tailed beast, she wouldn't find herself in this predicament.

Her grey eyes glanced at the bread Greasy Sea put on the table for her. Taking the small roll she brought it to her nose as she broke it in half. It was still warm and fresh. Her lips curved upwards as she recalled the way Peeta smelled, it was like fresh bread. His scent and the way Peeta wrapped around her like a security blanket made her feel protected, safe and happy.

Biting into the bread she groaned at the flaky buttery goodness.

The last time she had woken up with a smile on her face and felt like she was okay, was when her father was alive.

Being with Peeta last night was like being in a secure haven.

It was utterly irrational, completely against her true nature, but part of her wanted to be with him again, in fact she wanted to march to the baker and demand he nap with her. Katniss quickly sipped another spoonful of soup to keep her lips from smirking at this small thought. Katniss knew all to well what it was like to be from two different worlds. Her mother was Merchant and her father Seam, and that never happened in Twelve, love matches that crossed over that divide were rare.

Katniss swung her legs on the side of the stool as she ate her soup.

If anything ever happened between her and Peeta, Katniss would be ostracized by his witch of a mother, she would not like that, or for that matter her own mother. It was funny because Katniss did not have much of a relationship with her mother. They were not on speaking terms but Katniss knew enough her mother would definitely not like to know her daughter had spent the night with a boy no matter how innocent.

"Katniss Everdeen as I live and breathe."

Katniss shoulders sloped downwards at the sound of Darius's voice. The Ex-Peacekeeper who voluntarily retired a few months ago was always a thorn on her side. Even though he was still young, he was forced to leave his position. He decided to stay behind and was working in the Justice Building with the Mayor. It was rumored he had shacked up with a girl from the Seam.

"Darius," Katniss schooled her face. Calmly she put her all of her focus on consuming the soup before her.

Darius had a reputation for being a mischievous trouble maker. He liked to tease her. As a Peacekeeper he was able to obtain confessions no one else was able to get.

Darius swiped his red hair away from his face. He stood by her bowl and sniffed it, "What does Greasy Sae have on the menu today?"

Katniss did not want to speak to the man.

"Looks like mystery meat." Darius leaned in over her shoulder.

"Darius," Gale haled, he had paused when he saw another guy leaning so close to Katniss but when he realized who it was he relaxed. Guys never went up to Katniss, because she was still a kid, a kid that Gale protected.

"Gale sorry didn't know you were around," Darius greeted.

"How's the soup?" Gale asked sitting down on the stool next to Katniss he spread out by putting his own game bag next to Katniss.

Katniss grunted.

"Hi'ya Gale, I suppose you'd be wanting a bowl?" Greasy Sae appeared out of no where.

"Yep," Gale sat down.

Katniss finished her soup.

"I like a girl with a healthy apatite." Darius winked at Katniss.

Katniss frowned.

"You know Katniss I didn't realize until I saw you how pretty you've gotten."

Gale enjoyed seeing Katniss frown. Katniss hated when Darius poked fun at her. He always called her braids because she only wore her hair in one thick plait. Gale leaned back ready for a good show. Katniss hated compliments.

"No seriously you're hot!" Darius leaned forward and winked.

Gale paid no mind as he thanked Sae for the soup and paid her.

Darius sly grin spread on his face. "Come on, Gale you have got to agree Katniss has grown up quite nicely."

Gale was taking a spoonful of soup when he spit it out. The liquid was hot, but that didn't make him spit sputter, it was Darius comment. Katniss was a kid, a little girl who was an excellent hunter, but that was all.

"You okay there buddy?"

Gale's annoyed gray eyes zeroed in on Darius. "What the hell are you spouting now?"

Darius cracked up at Gale's look.

"Look at her, she's all grown up and ready for a good kiss." Turning to Katniss he judged her mood. "I don't suppose it's Gale's lips you dream about." Darius whispered in a conspirators voice to her. The wide eyed innocent look she gave him was a confirmation she was still as pure as the driven snow. He straightened up then raised an eyebrow towards Gale, "No kisses yet, what's a matter Gale you slacking? Look at her she's a hot little number with sweet curves."

Katniss ignored Darius and ate her soup. She didn't want to make an enemy out of him by throwing her bowl of soup at him. There was no way she wanted kiss Gale or for that matter be gawked at by anyone least of all Darius.

Gale forcedly trained his vision on Katniss and was a bit horrified to see Darius was right. He questioned when she had filled out; even though she wore her father's clothing she had a nice rear. She had high cheekbones, with ruby pink lips that were very desirable, her eyes were more silver than gray and were a beautiful contrast to her olive complexion.

Gale wondered when she had grown up and become so attractive.

"You've got any boys interested in you," Darius said leaning toward Katniss.

Katniss looked exasperated. Gale was watching her reactions carefully. He had never until this moment seen Katniss as bonafide girl he wanted to kiss. She was Catnip, his hunting buddy. The pesky little girl who was deadly accurate with her father's bow. But now she was morphed into a wild pretty thing like one of those flowers that grew in the forest.

"Wait that's not it, you don't see them, the trail of boys that are heart broken because you don't pay attention to them." Darius leaned his elbow against the table.

"Darius are you going order?"

"In a minute Sae, I am trying to figure out Miss. Everdeen here."

"What you mean?"

"Well it's obvious she oblivious as to how pretty she is and how many boys are actually suffering because she oblivious to them."

Greasy laughed, "Oh Darius you're stirring the pot and don't even know it."

"But I'm right she is stunning even with out any assistance."

"No one could ever accuse you of not having good taste; Katniss here is our little hidden gem."

Darius grin grew. "No she's not aware of boys liking her. However I think it's the opposite for her. I mean she's a" Darius coughed the word 'hunter'. "No you'd be the kind of girl who likes a boy in secret." Darius snapped his fingers then whistled. "There's a special guy you have you eyes on?"

Gale watched the way Katniss cheeks bloomed momentarily before it was replaced by her famous glare.

"Gale I'm headed over to the Mayors house." Katniss grabbed her bag and left.

"Well I'll be" Greasy shook her head.

"What?" Gale sat up.

"Oh boy, for such a sly fox you are clueless." Greasy Sae clucked her tongue. "All these years you've had a gem right underneath your very nose and have ignored it."

Gale frowned unsure what they were speaking about.

"Never mind Sae, he's not there yet. He just figured out Katniss is pretty. Now give me a bowl of that delicious sludge you've made." Darius pointed to Gale with his spoon as he sat on the vacate stool.

"You're right." Sae chuckled and walked away.

Gale picked up the bread and mindlessly ate it. He frowned then looked at the bread it was perfect. He murmured, "Mellark's bread."

Sae came and placed the bowl and bread on the table. Darius paid for it and the woman promptly disappeared.

Darius picked up his piece and looked at it. "Kid Katniss is like this bread, before she can become this perfect flaky delicious morsel, she was a mass of sticky dough. When she's finished cooking she's going to be a masterpiece to behold and devour."

Gale didn't quiet get what Darius was prattling on about.

"You still see her as the icky dough, but let me tell you there's a baker out there with the patience to let her breath and wait until she's been cooked by the fire before he'll approach her unless he hasn't done it already." Darius tore a piece of the roll and popped it in his mouth.

"What the hell are you speaking about Darius? Seriously Katniss is not a piece of bread."

"Let me put in laymen's terms. Katniss is blossoming and you look at her like she's a kid. She's not a kid anymore Gale, and trust me when I tell you there are guys out there who see that. And most likely Katniss likes one of those guys."

"Katniss isn't like that."

"Oh really Gale," Darius laughed shortly. "You're in denial. That girl has more secrets then a tomb. She might be a late bloomer, but I'd put money on my postulation, there is someone who she is interested in. Most likely she has always had made a point to keep track, quietly without anyone noticing, even you."

"Katniss doesn't want kids or to get married." Gale grabbed his bag forcefully intending on leaving but stopped when he heard what Darius was saying.

"Maybe she may not want those things now or maybe she may not want them with you. But mark my words kid, it's a woman's right to change her mind and if the guy Katniss is into likes her back, believe me she'll marry him, weather officially through the Capitol or unofficially through a toasting."

Gale fumed internally.

"Darius doesn't not know what he's speaking about." He complained as he stormed out of the hob.

He stomped absentmindedly walked not really seeing where he was going. Darius words compiled with the revelations he discovered really did a number on him.

Katniss was not the girly type. Gale had never seen Katniss voluntarily wear a dress unless she had too on reaping day. When they were in the woods she always stated she didn't want marriage or kids. Until now Gale always chalked up her statements as a rebellious stance against the state of the current government.

They both hated the Capitol and everything it stood for.

It was crazy to that his hunting buddy would crave what he wanted. As much as he liked being with girls he wanted to have a family one day. He wanted a son, someone to pass on the things his father taught him. He stopped walking looking around at town and saw that he was near Madge's house. As he began to walk he saw Katniss trade the berries with the Mayors daughter.

He blinked.

It never occurred to him that she would change her mind; or rather he never looked at her like she was a girl. Until Darius pointed it out Gale saw Katniss as a kid. He never noticed that she had developed a body under her loose clothing. Gale scratched his face. As the possibility of maybe one day calling Katniss his wife took root.

Gale had to be patient he had to wait it out, make sure there weren't any other guys she was interested in, and at the same time make sure the others knew she was exclusively his.

This was going to be a tricky feat.


	4. Chapter 4

Authors Note:

Hi all! I hope everyone is doing well, thank you for liking, review and just being so wonderful. Thank you Norbertsmom for pre-reading and beta'ing this story.

It took me forever to write this chapter, I hope you enjoy Madge, I'm having fun writing her and actually the squirrel as well. That furry little cupid isn't finished yet, just might make an appearance in the next chapter. Please review tell me how I'm doing.

PS...remember I do not own the Hunger Games...

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Katniss knocked on the back door of the Mayor's home. As had left the Hob she told Gale she was going to the Mayors house. She could have told him she was going to the Bakery but she didn't. After what happened with Darius she did not want to face Peeta just yet. She needed to cool off, gain her composure.

So she made the trip to Madge's house but took her time getting there. The house was more of a mansion by District Twelve standards. The three-story home was built to support a live in staff. She hauled the strap of her game bag onto her shoulder. She knocked once more. She was still smarting over the incident with Darius.

As she knocked again she muttered, "Darius is such a jerk."

Sometimes she wanted to punch him in the face. She was mortified and practically shoved her hot soup down her throat. Darius nearly discovered her thing for Peeta, in front of Gale of all people.

There was no way Katniss wanted Gale to know that she frequented Peeta's window at night or that last night she spent the night with the youngest baker. She shuttered to think what Gale would do, if he ever found out.

He already treated her like a kid sometimes, even though he wasn't as good with the bow as her. Gale took longer to set up his shots and often missed his prey. He teased her about her ill fitting clothing and her inabilities to speak in public. She could just imagine what Gale would say about her infatuation with Peeta, who was the son of a Merchant, and whose mother was commonly known as the witch. His mother was the number one hater of all things Seam.

Her best friend would have a field day.

Gale distrusted the Merchants and had a low opinion of them. Partially because some of the Merchants like Mrs. Mellark supported the Capitol and if there was one thing Gale loathed the most was the current government headed by President Snow. Gale would be relentless spouting the evils of being seen with a Merchant. Katniss was not ready to confront him about Peeta, when she herself did not know what the heck was going on inside of her.

For now she wanted to keep these two worlds separated.

The door swung open. Madge stood there in a pretty dress that looked like it was costlier than the wages Katniss made from trading year round.

"Where is Gale?" Madge's eyes searched the area around Katniss, expecting Gale to be hiding in the bushes or under the shade of the trees. Last week they had fought and this week she wanted to prove a point.

Katniss sighed at the sight of her quiet friend acting weird. Katniss found it funny the only Madge seemed to act this way was when Gale was near, "Morning to you to Madge."

"Oh," Madge turned slightly red. "I'm sorry Katniss it's just he was so mean to me I wanted to prove to him I just don't only wear nice stuff to reaping day."

Katniss did not say a words she only shook her head. Gale was always baiting Madge to get a reaction out of her. They were always fighting.

"Where is he anyways?" Madge took off the elastic head band with the pretty pink bow she had in her blond hair and shook it out. She threw the thing off the foot of the steps, the elastic band hurt. She personally hated dressing like a baby doll, but it was the way the Capitol expected her to dress. She had to do her part to help her father maintain the façade of being a good and obedient citizen.

"He should be on his way, he was speaking to Darius." Katniss looked into her bag for the container of berries she'd collected for Madge and her family. "Here are your berries."

"My father loves Darius," Madge shook her head and rolled her eyes as she handed Katniss the money for the berries.

Katniss couldn't help scrunch her nose in disgust as she pocketed the money.

"They smell wonderful. I'm going to enjoy them as long as I can." Madge's mouth watered at the sight of them.

Katniss eyed the bow.

"Winter's coming; I think it's going to be a bad one."

"That's what Gale thinks." Katniss nodded.

"So what did Darius want with Gale?" Madge caught Katniss scowl, she was about to ask what happed.

Both girls stopped speaking, interpreted by the sound of glass shattering somewhere inside Madge's house. They were comfortable with not speaking. They grinned as they heard Arabella, one of Undersee's staff apologize about the broken vase.

"Arabella is so nice, but she's a butterfingers. My dad doesn't mind her because she's so nice to my mom. However she drives Mitcham, our head of staff crazy, except when Arabella makes her pies with the berries. Then all is forgiven."

The girls chuckled.

Arabella was a klutz but she was hands down the best pie baker after Mr. Mellark in District Twelve.

Madge glanced at Katniss, recalling she wanted to know why Katniss made her infamous face, "Darius still teasing you?"

Katniss jerked her head in affirmation. "I just narrowly escaped today."

"I bet Gale joined into or started arguing with him." Madge sighed. "Gale is always sticking his nose in places where he shouldn't."

Katniss couldn't agree more.

Madge stood up stretched her neck her eyes trained on the small garden path that led to the back entrance. "Knowing Gale he got distracted by some girl at the Hob."

Katniss chuckled silently. Gale had gone after some girl at the Hob, but why he was late now she did not know, unless he was still arguing with Darius.

"Ugh boys," Madge muttered under her breath. "Why do they have to be so maddening?"

"Yeah, I know." Katniss understood instantly, boys complicated things. There was a matter of a debt she couldn't pay that led to her infatuation and subsequent inability to think logically. The swift answer and the look of disgust on Katniss face was real, because she cared for Gale, and he was her friend, but what she felt for Gale was nothing compared to what she felt for Peeta. It was on the tip of her tongue to divulge to Madge that she was into Peeta.

The dawning that she was into Peeta more than Gale caused her knees to shake.

"Katniss you're okay?" Madge stood up. "You look a little pale."

"Yeah," Katniss nodded. "Yeah I'm okay."

"You don't sound alright," Madge frowned. "Maybe you should come in and sit."

"It's okay I've got to get going," Katniss took a deep breath. There was no excuse she could make because she had the best sleep of her life and a bowl of Sea's best warming her belly.

"Okay if you're sure." Madge nodded then her eyes zeroed in behind Katniss. "Gale's trying blend into the back ground. Doesn't he know he doesn't blend into his environment, he's one of the tallest boys in the District."

Katniss glanced behind her, it was true. Gale did not blend in. She chuckled. "I'll see you tomorrow in school."

"Hey if you run across any rabbits can you please save me one. Arabella wants to make rabbit stew."

"Okay." Katniss moved away from the house, she quietly made her way toward Gale.

"What's Madge doing now and why is she wearing that ridiculous outfit?" Gale said in disgust.

Katniss shook her head, thinking this was the reason she could never tell Gale about Peeta. He would never accept him, just like he was not accepting of Madge.

"Hey, here's your half of the money."

"Thanks, Mellark's?"

Katniss had to reign in her response. She wasn't sure she was ready to see Peeta after last night. She nodded and they took off to the back door of the bakery. The closer they got to the bakery the stronger the sweet smell of bread permeated the air. The bell of the front door of the bakery could be heard, happily jingling, as patrons entered and left.

Mellark's was a long standing business in District Twelve passed down from one generation to the next. The Mellark men were distinctly known for their wide shoulders and gentle spirits, amongst other things no thanks to Rye Mellark. Though at the moment Rye's escapades were overshadowed by other important family business. A girl had not been born in generations, amongst them, and it was hoped the eldest Mellark son, who opted to join his wife's family business, be the one to bring a girl into the family.

At the moment it was just Peeta and Rye working the bakery, while their father and mother manned the front. The morning rush was just starting to quit as the familiar knock came at the back of the door. Thankfully their mother was out making deliveries, a thinly veiled excuse to badger and bother the other Merchants. Their mother was a bully and she liked to antagonize the other wives with her friends.

Peeta was trying to focus in on his job but his mind wandered to Katniss and their night and how he wanted to find that squirrel and plant a big wet kiss on it's furry little face.

Rye looked to his brother, "You seem happy today?"

His ruddy face tuned red. "I had a good nights sleep."

"I bet," Rye lifted an eyebrow, he had a slight hangover.

"Sorry about ditching the party last night."

"You did the right thing Peeta," Rye slid a tray of bread into the oven.

Peeta watched his brother drink water. "You still look hung-over."

Rye grinned then winked. "Yeah but now I'm paying for it."

Peeta wondered what his brother meant by that. "Why did mom open today? It's Sunday."

"Mom caught me sneaking into my room." Rye uttered, "This was my punishment."

Peeta continued to work.

Their mother did what she pleased and their father never contradicted her even when it was disastrous for the bakery.

"So how well did you sleep?" Rye wiggled his eyebrows.

His brother Rye was so weird Peeta ignored him and continued to remove the cookies from the cooling rack.

The knock on the back door came, Rye's face brightened, "Juicy time."

Peeta cut Rye a strange look. "What do you mean juicy time?"

Rye held an impish look on his face, right before he opened up the door. His face soured, "Hawthorne."

"Mellark, we're here to trade. Where's you father?"

Rye folded his arms across his shoulders. "My father is out so you can trade with me or leave, up to you Hawthorne."

Peeta shook his head at his brother. From where he stood he had an unobtrusive view of Katniss. She looked flustered and did not make eye contact with him. Peeta's head hung low, but he knew she was not a talkative person by nature. Then he recalled that she did not like making eye contact with people and he thought to himself she must be feeling bad.

Peeta had the best night in his life last night. He woke up whistling smiling, and not even his mother and her antagonistic ways could dampen his spirits. He was up before anyone as he had snuck her out of the bakery; he even managed to send her home with something, though she was upset with him and flatly told him she wasn't a charity case.

Wisely he bartered for berries and learned he needed to be prudent with Katniss.

It was one thing to watch her from afar; it was another thing to be able have her close. As he snuck a look at her, Peeta couldn't believe he caught Katniss falling out of the tree last night or that she saved him from that wonderfully pesky squirrel. He recalled the way she felt snuggled up to him, her head pressed up against his chest, as if listening to his heart.

Closing his eyes he could still feel her.

She smelled like flowers and her skin was incredibly soft. He liked the way her head fit right under his chin as if she was a piece of a puzzle that was missing. He knew now what made her eyes look like molten silver. She looked serene and beautiful as she slept. His only problem last night was how she'd woken up with a nightmare. He asked himself how often she had those, concern over her multiplied now hat he had gotten a glimpse into her life.

He wanted to speak to her but did not know how with Gale Hawthorne standing not even five feet away. He watched his brother try to out smart him. Peeta shook his head. Gale was no uneducated fool. He was smart, smarter than what people gave him credit for and Peeta would never detract that from him. Straightening his broad shoulders he had to proceed with caution. He glanced at Katniss who looked like she averted her eyes; Peeta could have sworn she was gazing at him.

He quietly continued to work, piping decorations on the cookies. It occurred to him that he should take a page from Katniss book and be brave. He paused taking three cookies and piped flowers on them, then piped a special message on the fourth one for Katniss. Peeta planned on using his brother and Hawthorne arguing to be able to speak to her. He simply slipped by, and came to stand outside.

"Hey," Peeta spoke to her.

Katniss eyes widened. She grabbed the berries and shoved them at him, her heart rate doubled at the sight of his strong forearms covered with flour. Arms that held her the night before. Shyly she glanced at him.

"Thank you," Peeta said taking the container with the berries.

"No problem," Katniss squeaked out, she frowned wondering what happed to her voice. She never acted this way.

"I hope you had a nice night," Peeta shyly said.

She felt her face heat up.

"Here I made these for saving my life against that horrid squirrel."

Katniss looked at the small package of cookies. "What?"

Peeta knew what he was doing, he wanted a friendship with her and he was going to use at his disposal any method or means possible. He knew Katniss would not accept charity from anyone so he made this about a service, she was a tough negotiator, and in this instance he was going to use this to his advantage. "You know for helping me last night. I don't think I would have been able to make it home with that beast in the way."

Katniss was puzzled she looked to the bag then to Peeta. This contest of wills went on for several seconds, until she took the cookies. "I'll get the little bugger the next time."

Her words were murmured and caused him to grin. "That squirrel is mean."

Katniss looked to the floor before she answered. "He's got incredible aim for a fur ball."

"Not as incredible as you, you get them through the eyes every time."

Katniss blushed.

"Why did you say Hawthorne?" Rye's voice was low and threatening.

Peeta saw the way both his brother and Gale hands fisted. He slipped passed Gale and Rye who were staring each other down. He sighed, "Rye dad wants the squirrels for dinner, our sister is coming over and she wants dad's special squirrel pie."

"What did you buy?" Rye focused in on Katniss.

Peeta quickly tried to divert his brother as he and Gale forgot their quarrel and focused in on Katniss who mutely stood with a scowl on her face. "Oh I asked Katniss to get me some berries last week."

"Where's the bread?" Gale asked.

"In, her game bag," Peeta said. "I gave her a nut one, why are you treating her as if she committed a crime. I wanted to make something special for my sister in law."

At the sound of Peeta's voice both of them backed away from Katniss.

Rye nodded and so did Gale.

"Come on Catnip, we've got to get going."

Katniss said nothing only walked away, but she wanted to look back at him, to acknowledge him. As she did so she spotted the squirrel eyeing her from a branch in the apple tree, a nut in its hands. She wanted to make a face, but not with Gale around. Besides she wanted to eat what Peeta had given her.

She and Gale walked in silence each in their own thoughts. When they had reached the Seam, Gale turned his head to look at her.

"Do you speak to Mellark?"

"No," Katniss tried to keep her calm.

"How did Peeta ask you for the berries?"

"Gale you were there when I gave the berries to him, didn't you see it?"

"No," Gale admitted. "Here's your half of the bread."

"Nah thanks. I've got a whole loaf; you should keep it for your brothers and Posey."

Gale did not object putting the bread back in his own bag.

"See you later Catnip." Gale said taking the path to his house.

Katniss went her home and once she arrived she found it empty. Putting down her game bag she sat in the chair and opened up the brown paper bag Peeta gave her. She took out the cookies one by one. She smiled as she saw the Primrose he piped for her sister, the Lily he made for her mother and the Katniss flower he made for her. It was the last one that made her gasped. It was picture of his window and underneath the caption always.

She understood the hidden message.

Peeta would always be available for her, but as she stared at it Katniss thought of Darius. She took the cookie and swallowed it. She decided right then and there she was never going to go to his window again.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: First thank you for all of the lovely support. Thank you for the reviews, I've been replying slowly. I hope you are having a lovely Memorial Day Weekend. This is for Shellbug who wanted to see more of Peeta. And a shout out to Norbertsmom for Betaing: pre-reading, editing and getting my head on straight.

I hope you all enjoy.

Ps I do not own the HG.

* * *

Peeta sat on his bed carefully contemplating everything that happened in the last twenty-four hours. It was a hard task to stay focused on his family this evening.

Dinner was a success. His brother's wife gobbled up the fresh fruit tarts he had made from the berries Katniss had picked for him. They had ended everything by six and they had even managed to play one game of charades. It was good evening, his mother the witch behaved.

His parents were already asleep. His brother Rye was in his room, but who knew what Rye was up to. It was early, only eight thirty, most families were up, but a baker's family. They had to get up earlier than any other Merchant. The ovens needed to be heated, bread needed to be made, it was a vicious cycle but they were the only family to do it.

Though he did not mind the life, even though he knew he would never inherit the bakery that would befall to his brother Rye. That was unless of course Rye married into a family like their older brother did.

The chances of his fast and loose brother behaving himself and marring into a family that had nothing but a girl was small chance. The irony was Rye loved the craft but his heart was not it. He was the only one of all the brothers who loved the bakery and the art they made.

The leaves shifted as the wind blew gently.

Peeta looked out the window toward the tree. He should have been fast asleep but he wasn't. Now that he was alone in his room his brain went over every detail that had to do with Katniss. Her mental image surfaced in his brain.

Speaking to her this afternoon took lots of guts on his part. He normally would not have had the courage to approach her had she not fallen out of the tree. Ever since he was a kid he had admired her from afar. As a little boy he was fascinated with her voice, her braids, and her eyes. Her eyes were the color of the little silver pearls his family used on the cakes. They stood out against her olive skin tone and dark hair.

Peeta had been smitten with from an early age.

Whenever she and her father came to the bakery he had made sure his hands were clean. For some reason it was important to him to show her he was not a dirty little boy. He didn't want to like his brothers who always had dirt on their hands. He childishly thought she wouldn't want to be his friend if she thought he was like his brothers. His cheeks blossomed, out of pure embarrassment, thinking of how immature his thoughts were.

Turning to the side he slipped his hand underneath the mattress and pulled out a piece of paper.

Peeta lay on to his bed back clutching his drawing. He flattened it against his chest. He folded his free arm under his head, thinking of how things had changed. A smile penetrated his face recalling the cookies.

He hoped she understood the message behind the cookie, it was imperative Katniss understood he'd always be there for her. He brought up the paper to look at it. He often contemplated her image for hours. It was drawing he made of her smiling. He remembered the moment.

It was at the end of the last Reaping. She was so relieved she wasn't picked at the end of the ceremony she smiled brilliantly right before her sister Prim came running up to her and hugged her. Her smiles were rare and seeing her so happy caused his world to freeze, he tried memorized the look on her face. He ran straight home and quickly sketched what she looked like in the faded red dress. Later on he changed the color of the dress for his favorite color orange.

He gently touched the image.

"I wonder if you know how pretty you are."

Peeta looked at the picture and then began to speak to it.

"I wonder if you and Gale are a couple, boyfriend and girlfriend. I see you guys together all of the time," He swallowed feeling fearful and it showed on the timber of his voice. "I always wonder. I hope that it's not true, but it sure looks like it. I know you must think last night was a colossal mistake. To me it was best night of my life." He shrugged slightly, "I can't help feeling this way."

Peeta shook his head looking at the picture he had drawn.

Despite her having shared a bed with him, Peeta was insecure about Katniss. The facts were concrete, last night he persuaded her to stay for fear of the Peacekeepers, she had a nightmare and asked him to stay in the bed with him because she was scared, in the morning she acted like she did not want any part of him.

His only mystery was why she came to give him the medicine?

Peeta thought about this but came up with no answer. The information he knew remained the same. This afternoon she proved when she came here. There was only one boy she was constantly around, from the time she was twelve until the present, and that was her fellow Seam resident.

Gale Hawthorne

Gale was tall with lean, lanky, dark handsome features every girl seemed to go gaga over. Despite him having a reputation for taking the girls to the Slag Heap, Katniss was the one girl everyone agreed he would marry. They had so many things in common, they were hunters, the woods were their favorite place, they were providers, and they were thick as thieves.

Feeling pitiable to want a girl who could clearly never want him, he shoved the paper under his pillow and sat up hitting his head with the palm of his hand.

"Jeez Peeta you're so pathetic. Speaking to a drawing," He murmured to himself angrily. None of his friends ever had this problem.

There were tons of girls who he could be with. Girls who would kiss him and do practically anything with him, but Peeta did not want any of those girls, he wanted Katniss. It was hard being in a one sided relationship.

He buried his nose into his pillow.

It still smelled like her.

Like the laundry that hung outside, fresh scent with the mix of wild flowers and the warm air. Peeta was glad he had a room to himself. He was glad he did not have to contend with Rye over every single act. His brother meant well but he did not understand that he was not into partying, drinking or girl chasing. Perhaps if he had no knowledge of Katniss he would end up like Rye or like his older brother, but the fact was Katniss was buried deeply in his heart.

Peeta was a noble boy, but he did not want to end up brokenhearted like his dad. He didn't want to settle for someone. He wanted Katniss or nothing at all. He would rather remain single than go into a loveless marriage.

Standing up he marched to his table. Grabbing his notebook and decided he was going to make a plan. He was going to get her to be his friend.

"Step one, ask her to be friends." Peeta said as he wrote. "Step two find out what she likes."

He tapped his pencil against his note book. He couldn't find anything besides two steps. Sulking he put his pencil down and desired to speak to her once again. As he lay down he saw the squirrel sitting on the branch, it was looking at his window.

Peeta looked at the squirrel and said. "Lets make a deal, you help me win Katniss and I'll give you food during the winter."

The squirrel cocked his head to the side then wiggled its nose as if considering Peeta's words. It then turned its back and scampered away. Peeta shrugged.

"It was worth a try."

He sat on his bed and began to sketch a small picture for Katniss. He decided he would begin by leaving her small gifts harmless tokens to make her day brighter. Though as he sketched he thought to himself he would need an accomplice. He thought of the people Katniss knew and there was only one person he knew who could help him.

He went to sleep confidently after finishing his sketch.

Less than twenty minutes later the whole family became awake.

"OPEN UP!"

The noise of their rattling door awoke Peeta. He sat up with a start. Without thought he opened the room to his door.

"OPEN UP!" He could hear the shout from open window.

The shouting of the Peacekeepers woke up the family. Peeta ran downstairs right behind his father, his mother right behind him. There was a shuffle in the house as they reached the back door.

"OPEN UP!" The command was shouted and their door shook.

Mr. Mellark opened the backdoor.

A uniformed Peacekeeper flashed a bright light in his father's face. He was as tall as his father, but did not have the girth in his dad had in his chest. Peeta could not see the man's face as it was hidden behind the black helmet darkened visor.

The Peacekeeper moved his flash light from his father, to his face then to his mother's face. His mother's hands clutched at his arms, she shook with fear as she hid partially behind him.

The man shined his light in the space where they kept their ovens. Satisfied that the room was clear, he said, "Mellark residence."

"Yes this is the Mellark…"

"Search the premises." The Peacekeeper rudely cut off his father.

A group of about nine men rushed in through the door, pushing his father to the side. Peeta caught his dad. The men divided, four rushed upstairs, the other five split up searching the back room and the store front. Their white uniform was a stark reminder of the control of President Snow. They did not bother turning on the lights, their flashlights were on.

Peeta remained quiet as he watched the men in white invade his home.

His mother who was harsh and mean spirited wept softly. Peeta held his mother, soothingly rubbing her arms in the process. Not even she deserved this treatment. He was scared but he did not show it on his face. Instead he remained calm.

"Is this one of your son's?"

Rye was shoved down the stairs; his blond hair was messed up. He was a heavy sleeper, not much woke Rye up. But the men holding the guns did not care as they poked his brother in the back.

His brother swallowed as he looked at him. Peeta could see Rye wanted to act out, his fist were clenched his body took that familiar wrestling attack pose. Peeta closed his eyes to indicate to him to stand down. His brother's shoulders slumped forward as he came to stand by their father.

"Yes that is our middle child." Mr. Mellark answered, as Rye was pushed to stand by their father.

The man barked, "Your name?"

"Rye Mellark."

The Peacekeeper came close to Rye and shined the light directly into his eyes. Rye flinched. He nodded and one of the officers came forward with a small hand held machine.

"Breathe into the module."

Rye did as he was told. The device beeped.

The officer read the findings. "He's sober sir."

The man asked as he shined a light in Peeta's face, "He yours as well?"

"That's our youngest."

The man looked at Peeta but did not say anything or do anything. Peeta was ready though to be examined. The man dismissed him moving on to face his father again. His dad was ready to have the light flashed in his face.

"Where is the other Mellark?"

"Our oldest son does not live here anymore he lives with his wife, in an apartment above…."

The static noise of the communicator crackled. "Unit A."

"Unit A, here. Unit B, is the other one accounted for?"

"Copy that. One Mellark, wife and fetus, present."

Peeta heard the way they referred to the baby, he schooled his features although it caused him to become irate. That was his niece or nephew. Yet they were counting them, including the unborn child, as if they were a possession of the capital, like the way a pot or a baking sheet could be owned. They were people citizens of Panem but he felt they were sending a clear message we own you.

The Peacekeeper did not take his eyes away from either one of the family members standing. The men began to filter back into the back room. Their guns were pointed at them. It almost felt like they were going to be executed. Peeta stood taller, if was going to die he was not going to die on his own terms.

"Unit B, Anything to account for?"

The reply was instant. "They are Government Certified."

"Good. Retire back to the garrison."

"Copy that."

The man turned and faced his followers. They were reflected in the shiny material of his visor. "Do you have your paperwork for the tree outside?"

His father nodded. "It's hanging on the wall near the oven."

The man walked to the wall and shined his light on it. "Eugene Mellark," he turned his face onto his fathers face. He checked his computer. "Eugene Mellark registration, you are the fifth Eugene Mellark."

"Yes sir," Mr. Mellark answered.

"Proudly serving the Capitol," the man shined in the face of Mrs. Mellark.

Timidly she nodded.

"Did we find anything?"

A Peacekeeper stepped forward, "Sir, All merchandise is Capitol Certified."

The man nodded slowly.

They stood there waiting for their fate. Unknowing what they men were going to them took a toll on them. Peeta understood this to be psychological game. This was a tactic they used this all of the time whenever there was a wrestling meet. The older guys intimidated the newer guys to put them at a disadvantage.

The Peacekeeper tilted his head slightly. "Move out."

The men filled out in a single line.

Their door was left open.

They stood their frozen, waiting for the coast to be clear. His father closed the door.

"What do you think that was about?" Rye asked.

His father shook his head. "They were no doubt looking for anything illegal."

"They were searching for the meat from those Seam trash." His mother hissed stepping up to his father. "I've told you buying that meat would get us in trouble."

His father slammed his hand on the door. His voice was forceful, "Boudica! You will refrain to speak poorly of those kids. They have a right to feed their family and we have a right to feed ours. Besides, I will not stop trading for fresh meat from them, because you know I both know how expensive it is to purchase meat in town. Without her or that boy trading with us, we wouldn't be able to survive."

His mother quieted down.

What his father said was the truth. They existed off of scraps left over bread. They had a small garden with herbs and vegetables that the Capitol allowed them to keep for a small quarterly sum. Yet between Peeta and Rye that food did not feed their shrunken family of four. The only fresh meat that they ate was the one they traded with Katniss and Gale with.

"I hate it when you're right." His mother grumbled.

Peeta breathed easily.

"Now let us go upstairs and get some rest. We have to be up early anyway."

Peeta watched his father head upstairs.

They all followed him to the family rooms. They did not appear to touch anything. It was eerie to know they had looked at and touched their belongings. Peeta made a beeline to his room, as Rye did.

Their parents opened the door to their rooms, their mother stepped inside quietly. Their dad paused at the door, "Rye I'd cut down on the drinking son, it looks as if you're on there short list."

Rye said nothing but he nodded then both entered their rooms.

Peeta walked inside his room and closed the door. He slumped up against it relived it was over with. It was then he noted his picture of Katniss was not under the pillow where he had left it. It was on the center of his bed. He swiftly walked over to it and picked it up and promised himself that they would never lay a hand on her.

Folding the picture he thought about how it would feel if had never made a move toward Katniss. His blue eyes became resolved. He was going to go though with his plan. He gently slipped he picture in between the mattresses, before lying down to go to sleep.

In the morning they were still a little uneasy about the incident. Though they pushed through, the stability of their morning routine made them feel normal. Peeta made sure he did not do anything to upset his mother.

She seemed fragile.

She only came downstairs to retrieve an old piece of bread and tea. Peeta did not say much, but was anxious for the moment when he would have to go to school. When the time arrived Rye as usual rushed out the door to meet his friends.

Peeta took his time, and now he stood underneath a tree. His friends and brother were all at school already. He carefully stayed behind, knowing she liked to walk behind everyone. She was not a social person for the daughter of the Mayor.

Spotting her he quickly made a bee line, "Hi, Madge?"

Madge was startled that anyone would speak to her.

"Look we don't really know each other, but there is someone we do know and I was hoping you can help me with something."

Madge carefully stared at Peeta Mellark the youngest member of the Mellark family. "Who do we have in common and what do you want me to do?"

Peeta was glad to hear her curiosity, "Well its Katniss."

Madge eyes widened as she questioned, "Katniss?"

"Well yeah," Peeta blushed then kicked a clump of grass between his boots. His laces were double knotted.

"What do you want with Katniss?"

"Well, I ah, want to be her friend but, I'm nervous she wouldn't want to be my friend because of where I'm from."

"Katniss is not like that."

"Gale is like that and he's her boyfriend."

Madge burst out laughing. "Peeta before we go any further you should know one thing."

"What's that?" Peeta asked.

"Katniss doesn't have a boyfriend. She doesn't want one, nor does she want children."

"I can understand why with the reaping and the Games."

Madge was surprised, it showed in her voice. "You're the only one who got that immediately." She cocked her head to the side. "What do you want?"

Peeta showed her the picture he drew of the flowers from the district that he used to decorate the cakes and wrote what little knowledge he had about them.

"That's beautiful Peeta."

He couldn't help his slight blush. "Thank you, I want her to have this, but I don't know how to give this to her without her ripping up in my face."

Madge smiled as she held the folded paper.

"I want to send her more stuff like this and small notes. Can you help me slip them into her back pack?"

"Sure," Madge watched Peeta fold up the paper precisely before she took it in her hands.

"I really do appreciate your help and if you ever need anything I'm at the counter on Wednesdays and Fridays, I can help you, give you special pricing."

"Nah, that's okay Peeta, we have enough coins." Madge shook her head. She slipped the paper in her note book. "Tell you what we'll just meet here whenever you want me to sneak something for you."

"You'd really do that?"

"You're a sweet guy, but if you do something to hurt Katniss I'll hurt you."

Peeta nodded, "Thanks Madge."

He started following Madge. Madge stopped and shook her head.

"Peeta, I think you should walk ahead. I'm usually late for school but that's not your style."

Peeta nodded happily and ran toward the school building leaving a dancing Madge behind.

Madge excitedly spun around in a circle.

Peeta liked Katniss, and more than just as a friend.

Madge wondered if Katniss knew. Madge answered her own internal question. "Probably not."

Katniss was oblivious but it would be interesting to see how her friend reacted to Peeta's hidden messages.

This was quite the welcome distraction for her life. Her mother was not well, and she was the one who always had to care for her since her father often used his work to runaway from the problem. This was something fun.

Madge easily slipped the paper into Katniss schoolbag in class when she went to use the bathroom; they sat behind each other after all. She couldn't wait until Katniss discovered the note from Peeta. During lunch time they were outside as the weather changed he students wouldn't be allowed outdoors and they would have to eat indoors. Katniss sat next to her with her eyes closed. She hardly brought lunch and during this hour she often simply slept. Her head rested against a tree.

"What?" Katniss scowled her eyes were still closed.

"Nothing," Madge hid her smile.

"You're staring at me Madge I can feel it."

"No I'm not." Then she looked up and saw her maid Arabella and a school official standing by the fence. "Great."

Katniss frowned then opened her eyes. "What's the matter?"

"My mom's acting up again. My dad sent Arabella to come and pick me up."

"Sorry."

"It's okay. Listen could you do me a favor, would you get me some berries. I think they might help my mom out."

"Sure no problem," Katniss watched as Madge quickly left.

It was a great day outside, warm and beautiful, but Katniss felt bad for her friend. Many didn't know how bad she had it. Her mother suffered from spells, that often meant her Madge had to be the adult.

Something both girls shared, absentee parents. The only difference being Madge's mother had never recovered while her mother had at least managed to function, and she was an excellent healer.

Katniss would get the berries even though today she did not have to hunt, she could use the coin. Getting up she looked toward where Peeta sat with his friends. He was laughing at something. She was glad to see he was happy. Looking down she picked up her bag and walked away. The bell for lunch was about to ring.

After school Katniss found herself in front of the Mayors house.

She lifted her hand and knocked on the door again.

It was odd that none of the staff came to answer. They never took this long. She became still, blocking out the ambient noise, trying to see if she could hear some form o life on the opposite side of the door. Katniss heard the slight static sound and clicking noise of the Peacekeepers radio.

With lighting like reflexes she jumped from the back stoop of the Mayors house and hid in the bushes. With all of the new Peacekeepers in town, it would not be good to be found with her bag containing a rabbit, three dead squirrels and two containers filled with berries that couldn't be found within district walls. Poaching was punishable by death. In her case they would whip her to send a warning to the residents.

In the old days the Peacekeepers were her biggest clients. Darius despite him being an idiot was one of the guys who would turn a blind eye to her trading. He was the first of the former group who bought from her. As things began to change Cray gave him an ultimatum. In many ways she was sad to see Darius forced to leave his post but he opted to stay, while many of the others chose to sign up again and were transferred. Katniss was sure it was due to his sweetheart he had in the Seam. He always provided them the best prices for game.

Katniss watched the back door open and four men in that dreaded white uniform step out. There leader had his visor in his hands. Mayor Undersee stood at the door, quietly watching the man put his visor back on.

"Thank you for your visit gentlemen. If there is anything I can assist you with all you need do is ask." Mayor Undersee's voice although pleasant sounded strained.

"Let headquarters know, this house is clear." The man did not address the Mayor as he walked away.

One of the men immediately conveyed the message.

Katniss watched the men leave the area. She was about to make a mad dash from her hidden spot when she heard the Mayor address his daughter. She paused ducking closer to the ground.

"Madge you shouldn't go out there, they still might be in the vicinity."

"I need to breathe father." Madge's voice wafted through the open back door.

"Okay, okay just stay close."

"Don't worry, I'll just be outside." Madge pushed open the screen door then sat on the stoop.

Katniss was not sure she should get out of the bushes and her presence be known. There seemed to be a lot going on she was not sure she should be privy to. She decided she was going to wait until the coast was clear and then get out as quietly as she could.

"Katniss you can come out of the bush."

"How'd you know I was here?" Katniss inquired.

"I saw you from the upstairs window while my room was being ransacked." Madge sarcastically replied.

"I'm sorry." Katniss clumsily made her way out of the bush on all fours.

"Don't be it's not your fault."

Awkwardly Katniss stood their not knowing what to say or do.

"I hate this."

"Madge you shouldn't say stuff like that!" Katniss whispered looking around the Peacekeepers could still be within hearing range.

"It's okay. I'm just upset because my father is being put under a microscope."

Katniss sighed then looked up at the sky to determine the time. This sort of talk out in the opened near the men who could easily shoot them made her uncomfortable.

Madge sighed. "My mom hand another spell, and my dad left me alone with those guys."

"What?"

"Yeah, we are being watched now. All of the Mayors are being," Madge put up her fingers in quotation as spoke, "Evaluated."

"Evaluated?

"It is some new program the President initiated and has signed into law. All of the District Twelve Governmental Representatives, the Mining officials, even Cray is being appraised to see how efficient and how loyal they are to the President."

She was going to have to take the berries home. It was a loss but she was not going to aid in her friend's destruction. "I guess you don't want the berries I picked in the forest."

"Oh I want those berries!

"You're crazy I can't sell you these."

"Yes you are Katniss."

"But what if the Peacekeepers come back?"

"They always come back. This is the fourth time I had all my belongings examined as if they were contraband, things that are Capitol approved. I know they'll be back, just to intimidate. " Madge shrugged.

"If they find the berries, you and your family can be punished or worse be put to death."

"I don't care what the Capitol does to me. If I die, I will die knowing I had a taste of freedom." Madge reached down into her pocket and produced a few coins and slapped them into Katniss hands.

Katniss shook her head as she opened her bag and handed Madge the container full of wild berries that were still available. She didn't think she could be so brave as Madge. She hid in the shadows and crept in the unseen because she did not want to get caught, Madge however was willing to put herself in the limelight to be a heard without having to say a word.

"I'm sorry to dump this on you. Look go home, just be careful. I haven't heard anything about them searching the Seam home yet, but just make sure you and Gale are clean okay, if you need receipts for dried meat let me know I can get some from you from Rooba."

Katniss nodded and walked away, the Peacekeepers searching the mayors home did not sit well with her at all.


	6. Chapter 6

Hi all thank you for all of the likes and support. A HUGE Thanks to Norbertsmom for Betaing. If you're on tumblr come on by. If not you can always let me know how I'm doing...

PS...I do not own the Hunger games.

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The woods were quiet. The majesty and pageantry of the fall was coming to an end. Only the evergreens stood in silent defiance to the weather. Gale was trying to stock up on as much meat as he could to feed his family. He had two boys that were starting to stretch, plus Posy, who despite not eating as much as Rory or Vick, sister still needed to eat simply to survive.

This was actually the easiest time for him to trap animals. They were looking for food and he used that to his advantage. Gale reset his trap, picked up his bow and walked toward the next trap. He grinned as he smelled the fresh air.

He loved it out here.

The woods were his home. They represented freedom. Something he did not have the moment he left the forest to go back to civilization.

Gale slipped to the ground to check his next trap. He found a rabbit. After releasing the rabbit from the trap and putting it in his bag, he looked up and saw Katniss hidden partially by a tree. Her long cord of braided hair hung in the middle of her back.

Normally, he would not have shouted, he would have crept up on her. It was something they did for fun. Gale observed her. She was reclusive by nature, she was not flashy, and Katniss was downright feisty when she wanted to be. But she was like him, in the sense that as soon as their feet touched the ground outside of the fence she came alive. Lately, she had been even closed off to the nature that surrounded them. Gale wondered if what happened three days ago with Darius affected her.

He knew it affected him.

His slate gray eyes took her in. She wasn't that beautiful, she had a slight build, but was agile. She wasn't like the girls he was usually attracted to. He liked bustier girls, but, there was something special about Katniss that made her appealing. He questioned if it was her loyalty to her family or her determination not to let the circumstances dictate her future.

Katniss was indeed a force to be reckoned with, and until Darius pointed it out to him, he had been blinded. The problem was she wanted no part of romantic love or lust or anything to do with the heart. Her claims that she never wanted kids or marriage did not matter to him when he thought of her as a child. But now it was more of a hindrance and a challenge.

Walking away, he would allow her to think in private.

Gale's resolve did not last long, as twenty minutes later they were arguing.

"Gale you were holding it wrong."

"Was not," Gale huffed.

"I'm the better shot and I'm telling you, your arm was bent that's why you missed the deer."

"No, it wasn't Catnip," Gale snarked back.

Katniss stopped walking and crossed her arms over her chest, "Then why did your arrow miss the deer by a good five feet."

"It was the wind Katniss." He had spotted the stag and insisted on shooting it. Katniss had acquiesced to his demand and she put her bow down.

Katniss rolled her eyes, "There was no wind."

They faced each other heatedly.

"Yes there was."

"No there wasn't." Katniss defiantly stared back at him.

Gale enunciated each word as he spoke, "Yes there was, end of story."

Katniss growled, "Are you kidding me!"

Gale watched her storm away to a rock where she slid her bag down her shoulder and split their catch.

"We could have had a good haul, saved money for the winter, and you will not admit to your mistake."

He heard her grumble and he felt bad. It was true they missed an opportunity to have it good for the winter. He purposefully took a stone and threw it in her direction. "I didn't make a mistake. It was the wind Katniss, it blew the arrow off my mark."

The stone flew right over her head. Katniss looked at him and rolled her eyes.

"You see, I'm actually better shot than you."

This time when she looked up she saw that he was goading her. "Gale."

Gale shoulders shook. It felt good to have his friend back.

Katniss still huffed as she divided the game they caught. "That's your half."

Gale hunched down on his knees and took the assortment and put it in his game sack. "So what are you going to do after this?"

"I have to get a few herbs and plants for my mother and Prim. My mother needs to stock up for the winter."

"I think it's going to be a harsh winter."

"Yeah I know, and with all the Peacekeepers in town I think it's a good idea if we start drying meat and get some canning done so that we don't have to get any more slips than necessary. Madge told me we needed to be careful."

"Pft," Gale huffed. "Madge, what the hell does she know."

"Listen to me Gale. Stop with the Madge bashing, she's not bad and she's warning us. That's more than anyone else."

"Alright." Gale rolled his eyes.

"You need to stop. She's the one who told us about the higher production demands for the miners."

Gale stopped to think for a moment about this. There were a lot of things going on that he did not like. When Madge told Katniss of the upcoming increases it gave the miners the opportunity find a way to a way to be able to fulfill them. Though many questioned why the increased demand on coal? Why the sudden need for more Capitol soldiers? A lot of people were talking in private, "I'll give you that one."

"She said we need to be cautious, and we should, that's all. We don't know what's going on. It's not like our district rebels, or has the population that requires the amount of Peacekeepers we have."

"True."

"We need to be prepared. Make sure we're covered in case they come into our homes, and have food in case…in case we can't hunt any more."

Gale could hear the tremble in her voice, so he conceded, but only marginally. "So we'll stock up."

Katniss nodded.

"Hey we can get some cans down at the hob."

She did not reply, so he looked over at her and she was staring at a tree, most specifically a squirrel up in a tree. Katniss had never spaced out like this in the middle of a conversation. He wanted to say something but he let it slide, however a week later he couldn't take it anymore.

Her inattentiveness was driving him mad. Normally she was sharp, focused like the arrows she fired from her bow. The conversation with Darius popped up in his mind. Could she have someone she liked? Could this guy be the reason she was acting so strange? Was he the man she thought of? Gale wanted so badly to ask her, but he was afraid of what her answer might be.

He felt unsure about her, unsure about their friendship and he became nervous and flustered and it translated as anger.

"Katniss," Gale snapped his fingers in front of her face. This was the third time he had snuck up behind her and had not been able to get her to acknowledge him.

"Oh sorry Gale," Katniss said, embarrassed.

"Where the hell were you this time?"

"Look, I'm sorry I have things on my mind," Katniss said, moving away.

"You know you can talk to me."

She quickly stammered, "It's Prim. She's scared of the reaping."

"That will not happen for months Katniss," Gale said, dismissing the idea.

It wasn't a lie, last week her sister woke up with a nightmare, and although it hadn't happen again, Prim was fearful of the Reaping. "I know but she's scared and I don't know how to calm her down."

"Look Katniss, every kid in Panem has to go through this. It's a rite of passage. Prim is going to have to get over it like you and I did."

Katniss uttered, "Yeah but the odds."

"Your sister will have her name in the bowl once, like Rory. Unlike you and me. We have so many slips we're the ones who have a better chance at being picked." Gale said flippantly.

Katniss stood and she picked up the animal she had cleaned.

He was not done complaining as he walked behind her. His long strides caught him up to her. Soon he was ahead. "I bet you none of the merchants have to worry about how many times their names go in because is only one for every year. Unlike the kids in the Seam, who dread the reaping, because we need the food to survive. I hate tesserae," Gale said with venom.

Katniss stopped walking.

What Gale said was true; no one liked the measly excuse for existence the Capitol doled out to the children who were eligible for reaping. It was supposed to be a meal ration to last a month, but in reality it never lasted more than a week or two. But for many it was the only form of nourishment they had. Gale and Katniss had to take out tesserae every year because of those long lean months in the winter when hunting was not possible. Gale turned to Katniss and pointed to her.

"Merchant kids like Rye and his half wit of a little brother are privileged brats, who have all the food in the world. They get to eat three square meals a day. We celebrate when we get to eat two meals. I can't remember the last time I ate three times in one day."

Gale plopped down on the hard ground. He looked around at the wilderness around them. Katniss stood to the side silently watching him.

"They have it easier, better than us," Gale's rant continued. "Merchant kids don't starve like Seam kids do. They don't go to sleep hungry like Posey does. If they complain about the reaping, it's laughable. We Seam folk have so many entries, it's why they always pick us to go into the Games."

"Gale," Katniss interrupted.

Prim will be fine, you'll see," Gale said roughly, dismissively. he stood and looked as if was exasperated with her sister. "I have to go. my mom wants me to fix a window Rory broke. I'll see you tomorrow."

Katniss nodded and watched Gale leave. Once he was out of sight, Katniss sat down on a knotted tree root in the wooded glen.

She breathed easier now that he was gone. She had been worried that he would see through her partial truth. First there was Madge and her strange behavior lately. Madge, who was always quiet, was giving her odd looks and Katniss could not figure out why, but that didn't explain the reason behind her inability to focus. That was attributed to one person.

Peeta.

He hadn't been in school today and she was worried. The gossip in school was that he had a broken arm. Katniss fretted about him. The debt that she owed him hung over her head.

He was the reason she was alive and now she couldn't even go check on him. When he was at school she did notice him more and it gave her a sense of relief to know he was fine. She was constantly trying to find a way to pay him back, but so far he had kept way ahead of her.

Every day she found some note or picture he managed to slip into her backpack. From the very first drawing she knew it was him. She slipped her hand into her shirt and removed the latest note she kept hidden in her bra. He drew her. At first she had not recognized her image. The girl who stared back was pretty, with a slight smile. Her eyes looked shinier than the silver wedding rings some merchants wore.

Every time she received a folded note she wanted to smile, but she kept her face blank. The first time he wrote to her about the flowers that he found in the district she was shocked. The illustrations reminded her of her father's drawings in the Plant Book. The other day he wrote to her about the squirrel, and before that he drew the squirrel with horns and a pitchfork. She had nearly laughed out loud in class when she saw the picture.

Then there were the poems.

How or where he got a hold of a book of poetry she did not know. Though her favorite was by far was written a woman named Emily Dickenson " _Nature" is What We see"._

Katniss began to recite it to herself. Her voice was low as she spoke and it sounded almost like a song. The mockingjays began to pick up on the rhythm.

 _"Nature" is what we see—_

 _The Hill—the Afternoon—_

 _Squirrel—Eclipse— the Bumble bee—_

 _Nay—Nature is Heaven—_

 _Nature is what we hear—_

 _The Bobolink—the Sea—_

 _Thunder—the Cricket—_

 _Nay—Nature is Harmony—_

 _Nature is what we know—_

 _Yet have no art to say—_

 _So impotent Our Wisdom is-_

 _To her Simplicity."_

When she finished the mockingjays slowly tweeted back the tune to her, and it brought her a certain amount of peace. It was the type of thing her father would have sung to her. For a moment she felt his presence with her.

She broke down in tears.

Her quiet sobbing was the only thing that could be heard in the quiet pockets beneath the canopied trees. She wiped her face, missing her father immensely, but finding a measure of happiness because of Peeta's thoughtfulness. It caused her to have this conflicting matter rise from within her.

Katniss was confused as ever.

He was funny and kind. He reminded her of Prim and she craved to see him at night, to make sure he was well. She bit her bottom lip. Her eyes navigated the picture she held in her hand.

Thinking of him made her want to go see him, just to make sure he was well.

She stood from her spot and decided that she was going to remain firm and stay away. Yet that night as she lay in bed she felt the overwhelming need overtook her. Her sister and mother were fast asleep on the bed on the other side of the room. Quietly she made her move.

Katniss snuck out of her bed, dressed haphazardly in the dark, and slunk through the district until she reached Mellark's home. She was extra careful, things in the district were changing and Katniss did not want to be caught out breaking the curfew.

Swallowing, she waited until the Peacekeepers passed by before she slunk into their backyard. The only thing she was afraid of was the squirrel. As quietly as possible, she shimmied up the tree, and down the branch toward Peeta's bedroom window.

She gasped when she saw him. There was a bruise on his face and she knew it was his mother's work. She was furious, but as she rested on the tree limb she felt the leaves shift.

Her eyes widened as she saw the squirrel's head pop up in-between the leaves. Its eyes narrowed the moment it spotted her. The squirrel opened its mouth and chattered what Katniss knew to be insults, before it disappeared back into the leaves. She had to choose to either go backwards or forwards. She was going to crawl backwards when she felt a branch hit her bottom. She looked over her shoulder to see the little furry menace hurling twigs at her.

She was forced to crawl forward. The furry little monster was throwing anything it could find at her. Katniss was running out of space on the branch, with no other alternative she jumped through the open window and onto Peeta's bed.

The moment she landed on his bed, they both tumbled to the floor. The squirrel stood by the open window looking at them both. Its little fist in the air, sniggling something before hopping away.

"I hate that squirrel," Katniss muttered. She was so focused on the creature that chased her, she failed to notice that she lay flush up against Peeta.

"I think it's growing on me," Peeta said with a grin.

Katniss turned red when she realized her compromising position.

Peeta started to laugh. She clamped her fingers on top of his mouth to keep his laughter down, but that just spurred him on and he snickered. Seeing him laugh caused her to laugh too.

"Shh," Katniss said though she couldn't help the way her shoulders shook. Once they calmed down they sat side by side. "You're as horrible as that stupid buck toothed evil fur ball."

Peeta grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. "Maybe he's on my payroll. I pay him in nuts for the pleasure of seeing you scared of a pint sized monster."

"If I had my bow he wouldn't be a monster, that's for sure," Katniss grumbled.

"Do you want to be friends?"

The question caught her off guard. Of all the things he could have said this knocked her for a loop. He wanted to be her friend. Katniss looked at him. He was flushed and his face was hopeful, but in his eyes he was preparing for her rejection. "I'm not good at making friends with people."

"Well that's why we talk and get to know each other. You know, talk about the deep stuff."

Katniss scoffed. "The deep stuff?"

"Yeah the deep stuff." Peeta scratched his head, his blond wavy hair stood on end. "You know we tell each other the secrets we don't ever tell anyone."

He was adorable, sitting there trying to convince her to be his friend. "I don't talk about the deep stuff."

"Well I do. I was hoping that we could even braid each other's hair."

She couldn't help the small breathy laugh that escaped her lips. No one ever reacted like this with her. No one, not even Gale begged to be her friend. When he first met her, he treated her as if she was a chore to have her afoot until he saw her really shoot. Fact was Katniss was not sure she knew how to be friends with someone outside of having to trade with them.

Katniss knew Madge because her mother treated Madge's mom. Most of the time, they sat next to each other during lunch time without talking, only speaking to one another when they had something important to say. They never talked about the things that other girls their age spoke about. The only person that got underneath Madge's skin was Gale.

Peeta was an original, and she was curious as to what he meant by the deep stuff she never shared with anyone. She bit her lip as she took into consideration his request. It wasn't as if he was making a play for her. Plus, he did not engender her to feel uncomfortable like Darius did. He was waiting patiently for her answer, allowing her to make up her mind. His face, eyes, and body language was that of a puppy waiting for its master's attention.

"Okay I'll allow it."

Peeta's excitement was visible on every part of him, "Really?"

She nodded, but she suddenly felt shy.

Peeta wiggled his eyebrows mischievously. He had to carefully choose his words, "So now for the deep stuff."

Katniss swallowed nervously waiting for his question.

"What is your favorite color?"

Gobsmacked by his question she sputtered, "My favorite color?"

"I warned you these would be hard hitting intimate questions." Peeta grinned at her, and then winked.

"No one has ever asked me what's my favorite color." Katniss shook her head.

"Not even Prim or Gale?" It was his turn to be shocked.

"Well my sister knows I favor green, I traded for a green cup at the hob. But Gale has never asked me."

"So your favorite color is green?"

"Yeah, what's yours?"

"Orange"

She wrinkled her nose, "Orange like the escort's hair?"

Peeta chuckled, "No that's too much." He edged closer to her. "The shade I like is softer, like the sunset."

"In the woods the sunset is beautiful. There are so many colors that bounce off the land. You'd like it."

"The woods must have every shade of green imaginable." Peeta sighed. "I'd like to be able to draw it, but I can't afford the paints."

"You draw really nice." Katniss felt the way her cheeks bloomed with color.

"Thanks, not many people know I draw, well I use it to design cakes."

"Prim loves your cakes."

His smile was instant and his voice sly. "So is Prim, the only one that likes my cakes?"

She looked down as she shook her head no.

He could have made an issue but he did not want to push the friendship they were forming. "A lot of folks like the cakes I design."

She could not help the smile that came to her face sitting near him.

The comfortable silence that ensued allowed them to soak up the radiance of each other's presence. They snuck looks at each other. It was Katniss who spoke first; though she did not speak loud it was a quiet voice being that she did not know how to address the welt on his face.

"Peeta what happened to your eye?"

He frowned, then his eyes widened. "Oh no, this wasn't my…I mean…"

"Did you mom do this?" Katniss asked with thoughtful concern etched on her face. Her voice trembled a little; she was stepping into new territory.

"No, my mom didn't do this." Peeta flushed. "This time she's innocent."

"Oh, then how?" Katniss was curious.

"This was my brother Rye at wrestling practice yesterday; he elbowed me trying to get out from under me. He was doing an illegal move."

"Did you get back at him?" Katniss had no idea his practices were so intense.

Peeta laughed. "Yeah, I got him." He grinned, then amended what he was about to say. "I got him below the belt."

"I'll ask my mom for something for your eye."

"It's not necessary." Peeta shrugged.

"So why did you stay home today?"

"My dad needed help in the bakery today. My mom hasn't been feeling well," Peeta said looking at his feet.

"Oh?"

"She's been anxious ever since the Peacekeepers came to our home in the middle of the night not so long ago."

"They went to Madge's house too. Checking to make sure her father is maintaining the duties of the Mayor."

"Katniss you need to be careful. The Peacekeeper who came to my house was not someone I would want to make angry."

"Did they hurt anyone?"

"No but they checked Rye to see if he was drunk."

Katniss swallowed. She thought about what Madge told her and what she knew about the old Head Peacekeeper Cray. Things were not looking good. "Your brother needs to be careful."

"My dad warned him."

"What were they looking for?"

"They were looking for things that are illegal. Make sure you guys hide your food source carefully, somewhere they can't find it. I do not want anything to happen to you or your family."

She kept quiet. There were chances she had to take to feed and shelter her family. Prim was growing by leaps and bounds and since Katniss mostly wore her father's clothing that her mother helped her take in, Prim needed clothing.

"I know you have to earn a living, all I'm asking for you is to be careful."

"Will your dad stop trading with me?"

"No, he will not."

"Madge said the same thing." Katniss had a feeling many in the district were not going to feel that way.

"He fought my mom over it."

Katniss nodded then looked to him. There was something she wanted to know. "Peeta, how did you get those notes into my backpack?"

"Ah, I'll tell you but you have to promise not to get mad."

Katniss waited rather impatiently for the answer.

"Madge helped me."

"Madge!"

"Don't get mad at her. I asked her, and told her I wanted to be friends with you. I didn't think you'd speak to me in school, nor did I think you'd try outside of it."

Katniss gazed into his eyes; even in the moon lit room she could see he was sincere. He was right. She wouldn't have approached him in school or outside of school. She would have observed him from afar as she had been doing. Though it wasn't enough no matter what she told herself. She wouldn't be in his room if it hadn't been for that blasted squirrel.

"Katniss, do you want to stay tonight?"

She could have said no, but his voice was shy, she could see in the darkness how warm his cheeks were. It did something funny to her stomach to see that wanted her to stay. She nodded.

Embarrassed by the next question, Peeta rushed through it not taking a breath. "Do you want to sleep in something of mine? Not that you have to, but I thought I'd offer, something more comfortable, a shirt?"

Her reply was a high squeak, not even a word.

She watched him go to his dresser and pull out a shirt for her. After he handed it to her, he turned around as he spoke, his hands covered his eyes for good measure.

"I'm going to turnaround so that you can change. I wouldn't mind if you saw me naked, but I don't think you'd like for me to see you naked." He slapped a hand over his mouth before her muttered, "Jiminy, Peeta just shut up."

He was so anxious that it was cute. Katniss quickly removed her bra and shirt for his. His shirt was large and comfy, and it smelled like him, like being enveloped in warmth and security. Katniss tapped his shoulder when she was done. She hadn't removed her pants; she couldn't do that yet, but she had removed her boots.

"Okay." Peeta slid onto the floor next to the bed. "You can have the bed, Katniss." The moment her head met his pillow she fell asleep easily. From the floor Peeta watched her.

He could not sleep, it was a little different. He had to wait until his heart stopped thudding so loudly and for his body to calm down. He smiled at his last thought before sleep finally claimed him. He and Katniss were friends.


End file.
